Buried for days - brumating in summer?

[Ivyna J Spyder]

I've had my b&w tegu since November. She's a wild caught Florida feral, and is maybe around a year old.

She recently stopped eating, and I haven't seen her in nearly a week. She's been doing a ton of excavating in her enclosure too (there's over a foot of substrate so I have no idea where she even is, lol)

I have a webcam with motion detection in her cage, so she's definitely not coming out when I'm not there.

Is it normal for them to brumate in summer?

 

[Walter1]

No, not typical. How big/ old is she? What are temps in the enclosure and how big is enclosure?

 

[Ivyna J Spyder]

Age is unknown since she was a feral, but likely about a year old.

Her exact size is hard to tell since she's not tame enough to handle for measuring. I'd say maybe 3ft with tail? She had good body condition last I saw her, and had a vet visit in the winter and was treated for worms.

Enclosure is 8' x 4' x 4'.

Temps average 85F, with a basking spot of 110-115F, and a Megaray bulb for UVB.

 

[Walter1]

Does she have a cool mid-upper 70s hide? Am wondering if heat stress.

 

[Ivyna J Spyder]

Her cool side hide is reading 76-78, since that's the temperature in the house I'm not sure I can go lower.

 

[Walter1]

That's fine.

 

[Mamasaurus]

I raised my basking spot to 135 and my dude started eating. He was a nightmare at first.

 

[Ivyna J Spyder]

She was eating great the last few months, even in winter. Maybe since she didn't brumate in winter, she's doing it now...?

 

[Mamasaurus]

Not sure tbh. Did your AC turn on? Your temperatures sound fine. Mine brumated without temp change though and I know lighting plays a role. You have your baby's lights on a timer? Mine is a wild caught from Florida as well. Did you do the deworm with your well visit when you got yours? Mine hides when there's a lot of sound or movement in the house since we are still strange to him too. I can handle him with no problem but he is a nebby thing and runs everywhere lol

 

[Ivyna J Spyder]

Yep, she got dewormed. Lights are on a timer. I actually was in the process of slowly increasing the day length for a while before she decided to entomb herself. (I usually do 14 on/10 off in summer, 12/12 in spring and fall, and 10/14 in winter)

A/C is on but if anything it's just warmer inside. (I set my thermostat to 68 in winter, 77 in summer). And the enclosure is really good at retaining heat though, so it hasn't changed inside significantly according to the thermometers.

And lol, she's much more likely to rush me and try to bite rather than hide.

 

[Mamasaurus]

All sounds good to me! I'd say dig her out to make sure she's breathing but wow lol. Don't lose skin... I've handled mine since day 2 but worry about the same things. Guess I got lucky.

 

[Ivyna J Spyder]

Heeey, she's back!



Out of curiosity, I decided to simulate a rain storm. I misted several jugs worth of water into the enclosure, and sure enough, later in the day she came out.

I got the idea from hearing that it's also the dry season when they brumate, so maybe rain and water levels have can influence on their behavior in addition to temperature.

She's just fine, barely lost weight from what I can see, and her appetite is great.

 

[Walter1]

I live in Pennsylvania. Mine summer outdoors. Eat ravenously until early Sep in prep. for brumation.

 

[Mamasaurus]

I live in Pennsylvania. Mine summer outdoors. Eat ravenously until early Sep in prep. for brumation.

Same minus the outside. He'd pull a Houdini somehow. Lol